Jan. 12 Readers' letters: Hospice care should be available to all patients - regardless of their medical coverage or ability to pay

From Mercury News readers

Posted:
01/10/2014 10:29:29 AM PST

Cost of hospice care tops reimbursement

Your recent article (Page A1, Dec. 29) about hospice programs highlights some important considerations for families and patients facing the need for end-of-life care. Our experience (and one shared throughout the hospice community) is that the earlier an eligible patient is admitted to hospice care, the better supported he and his family is throughout the end-of-life journey.

While the growing number of for-profit hospice programs may suggest that there is money to be made in this business, our experience at Mission Hospice is quite the opposite. In fact, the level of patient care we provide exceeds the amount reimbursed by Medicare and private insurance. Fortunately, our community recognizes the importance of personalized, compassionate end-of-life care, and their generous donations support our work. The history of nonprofit hospice care in San Mateo County goes back 35 years, when Mission Hospice was founded as the county's first hospice program. Our board, staff, volunteers and donors are local residents who believe that access to compassionate palliative and hospice care should be available to all patients -- regardless of their medical coverage or ability to pay.

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Dwight Wilson

CEO, Mission Hospice & Home Care

Civilization lecturer makes history juicy

Scott Herhold (Page B1, Jan. 7) was right to praise Bill Fredlund and his Institute for the Study of Western Civilization for its delightful contribution to teaching our primary cultural heritage. We have taken a number of his classes, and we would add that he is the most amusing and entertaining lecturer we know. History can be taught as dry as dust. Not Bill. Heads roll, heretics burn, cathedrals rise, dynasties fall. Through it all, the great art and seminal ideas that make us who we are shine through. Turn off the TV, and come on down to the institute. You won't regret it.

Alice Wheatley

Bill Anderson

Los Gatos

People need push to use less sugar

Overindulging in sugar has proved to be detrimental to human health. Studies by UC San Francisco have indicated that taxing sweetened drinks such as sodas would result in a measurable decrease in health care costs as well as the number of people contracting Type 2 diabetes over time.

Generally, humans left to their own inclinations are not motivated to reduce consumption of that which may be harmful to them, their offspring or their environment unless presented with a strong deterrent.

Samuel TwoBears

Windsor

Food stamps: Healthful food has a higher cost

John Mitchell (Letters, Jan. 8) may be on to something when he suggests we ban the use of food stamps for junk food -- if he's willing to triple the amount of assistance we provide, since healthy food costs about that much more, per calorie.